Appreciation and Gratitude
by Son Goshen
Summary: One-shot. Trunks's life was very different from his alternate timeline's counterpart. He didn't know anything about appreciation or gratitude until through a strange coincidence, he meets the other Trunks.


**What is wrong with me? Another one-shot! I was going to post a series… oh well… This takes place 3 years after Buu. I wrote this at night, so it might be a bit strange.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DB/Z/GT, though I have all the DVDs of the show.**

Trunks was happily watching TV until he heard a crash. It came from his play room! He hurriedly ran there, only to find out something terrible.

His mother had crashed his most prized possession.

The possession was a small music box. He remembered exactly how he had gotten it. Tapion had given it to him as a reminder of Hirudegarn and all the mess that occurred a year ago.

It now laid in pieces.

"Sorry, Trunks, I didn't mean it," his mother began, looking really guilty.

"You could've been more carefully," he said in a low voice.

"I'm really sorry, it was an accident!"

"SORRY ISN'T ENOUGH! YOU KNEW IT WAS FROM TAPION!" And with that he took off toward his own room.

Trunks started to punch the punching bag he had in his room to vent off his anger. He continued to punch it until he felt drowsy. Falling onto his bed, he gently stroked the sword he also got from his friend.

He unsheathed the sword.

"I'm sorry the music box was broken. It wasn't my fault. Mom broke it," he whispered, peering into it. He didn't notice that two blue eyes the same shade were looking at him from the sword. Then he crashed, sword still in hand…

Trunks's surroundings were quite haunting. Crumbled buildings, destroyed cars, destruction stretched as far as the eye can see. He quickly strapped on his sword incase an enemy popped out or something. Suddenly he heard footsteps.

Turning around, he found himself looking at a man. The man was a mirror image of him, only older and the clothes were different.

"Hi," he said.

"Who are you?" Trunks asked.

"You don't remember me, do you?" the person replied. Something occurred to him. The man seems to act much like him, the same finger twitching habits and the same voice, but deeper.

"Are you me? Like me in the future who warned Dad and the others of the androids?" he questioned.

Mirai (A/N Future Trunks will be Mirai) smiled. "Very smart," he commented.

"Why are you here, anyways?"

"I just want to teach you something important."

Trunks sighed. It was probably going to be a long, boring speech.

"You see our surroundings?"

"Yeah, it's all destroyed and stuff."

"Exactly. Can you imagine living in a world like this for all your life?"

"Of course not! No one can live in a place like this."

"This is the world I was born into, the one I lived nearly all my life in."

Trunks's eyes widened at his older self's words. Live in a place like this?

"As you probably heard, my world was ravaged by the androids. My mother and I lived in constant fear of dying. I was always afraid that maybe one day, when I went to fight the androids, I would never come back.

I never owned anything like toys. All I really had was a few clothes, and this sword.

I didn't have the stuff you have. I didn't even have a father. It was just really hopeless, my life. Hope was the only thing that kept Mom and I alive and not commit suicide or something. Do you understand?"

Trunks nodded. That just sounded insane and horrible. 18 was pretty nice though. He guessed it was different in his world than his older self's.

Mirai continued. "I just want you to learn some appreciation and gratitude for the life you have now. Be glad that you don't have the life I had."

"Thank you," Trunks said. Upon hearing Mirai, he felt guilty for treating his mother so rudely.

"Is this all happening in my head, or was it real?"

Mirai grinned. "It is happening in your head, but why can't it be real? [1]"

"Right…hey, can I talk to you in any way other than in dreams?"

"Umm… if you unsheathe your sword and tap the gem 3 times, I think it would work. This sword's the reason why we're talking, anyways. It might take a few minutes for me to respond. So if your sword's glowing blue, that means I'm trying to talk to you, 'kay? [2]"

"Yeah. Thanks a lot again. I really appreciated your talk." The sky began to lighten.

"Time for us to wake up," Mirai whispered. Like a charm the surroundings start to fade and Trunks woke up.

End

**[1] This particular sentence was a reference to Harry Potter the 7****th**** book. Dumbledore said the same thing to Harry.**

**[2] The connection was made when, coincidentally, both Mirai and Trunks unsheathed Tapion's sword and looked into it. Mirai realized that right before the dream. Hence the blue eyes on Trunks's sword. Also, Mirai and Trunks fell asleep at the same time with the sword in hand, which made the talk possible.**

**Please R&R, guys!**


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